Probe into Montgomery grade-changing to conclude

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — A state investigation into grade-changing allegations at Montgomery Public Schools should conclude within two weeks, Alabama's schools superintendent said.

Superintendent Tommy Bice said Friday that a suggestion that the state Department of Education take over the school system and appoint an interim superintendent was "premature." That suggestion was earlier raised by Montgomery School Board President Charlotte Meadows.

"We are very pleased at the amount of data we've been able to recover, and it should make the job much easier in determining what, if anything, happened," Bice said in an interview with the Montgomery Advertiser. He would not comment on what investigators have found.

Bice said the information will lead authorities to what he described as "key people."

"We need to move this along and put this to rest," he said. "We can't have this hanging out there for an extended period of time. Next week will be a busy week for us."

The newspaper interviewed nearly 30 current and former school employees and reported that teachers who worked in Robert E. Lee, Jeff Davis and Sidney Lanier high schools said they witnessed or participated in the improper changing of hundreds of grades. The majority worked at Lee, which was under pressure to reduce its failure rate and make adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Law.

The probe has created controversy for local officials. Last month, a school board member released a letter from Meadows, the board president, which asked for a state takeover of the local school system. Meadows said the letter was a draft not ready for public release, though she said it does reflect her feelings. The county superintendent and fellow board member Mary Briers said Meadows overstepped her authority.

Bice said he was "taken aback" by the letter.

"I just think it's maybe a bit premature to (suggest a takeover). And I'll say that the actions there (of the board) do cause me some concern with the governance," he said.

Meadows said she understood Bice's position.

"I can certainly see why he would feel that way," Meadows said. "He's exactly right — there is an issue with governance here. I've seen it for years and I've tried to address it."